Continuous improvement is about using the knowledge and ideas of employees so that there is a continuous stream of suggestions for improvement.
Another important part is the successful realization of those improvement suggestions. If the suggestions are not picked up, there will be no new ones.
And if they are not successfully realized, there will also not be any new suggestions for improvement.
How do you ensure the successful realization of improvements?
This list with 15 success factors mentions the following:
- a clear approach to improvement (No. 7)
- a coaching style of leadership (No. 11)
A clear approach is, for example, the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, also known as the Deming circle. The components of the PDCA cycle are further elaborated in the annex.
The basis of the PDCA cycle is that you do a lot of cycles, improve and learn from them, and thus get closer to the final goal.
The coaching style is about the way in which an improvement team (working with the PDCA cycle) is guided by the manager. In short, this means that the manager is more of a coach than someone who gives answers. After all, the improvement team does not learn much from answers. Mike Rother’s book is highly recommended for this.
Support for continuous improvement (kaizen)
Through the Coimbee Toolbox, improvement teams and managers are perfectly supported in the successful realization of improvements. For the manager, the focus is on improvements that do not go according to plan. Each improvement team has its own PDCA checklist and can thus work in a structured and documented way. The following video shows how this works.
Additional advantages of a the PDCA checklist in the Coimbee Toolbox
Based on the information in the PDCA-checklist various reports can be created very easily. Like an A3-form or an 8D-report. Highly appreciated by your customers!
